Strap seal



7 Jan. 22, 1935. v c. M.. MEWCHE SNEY 1,988,742

S TRAP S EAL Filed Aug. 22, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l fliesierMMacaieslw wm zw Patented 2 2, 1935 STRAP SEAL Chester M. MacChesney, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application August 22,

1932, Serial No. 629,918

8 Claims. (01. 24-23) This invention relates to improvements in seals 1 for uniting the overlapping ends of metal straps such as the steel strapping which is employed for binding and reenforcing boxes and bales and for tying boxes, bales and other load units together in loading freight cars and other, carriers. The

seal of the present invention is adapted for usein forming the type of joint described and claimed in the United States patent of Ralph H. Norton No. 1,260,016, dated March 19, 1918, which shows a seal 'of the sleeve or tubular type adapted to have the overlapping ends of the strap threaded through it. The seal of the present invention is of the open or channel-shape type disclosed in the United States patent of Messrs. MacChesney and Ott No. 1,730,669, dated October 8, 1929, which discloses a sealing tool adapted to operate upon a channel-shaped seal to bend it about the overlapping ends of the strap and then shear the edges of the strap and seal to form a sealed interlocking joint. The principal object of the present invention is' to provide an improved seal of the open or channel-shaped type embodying means for holding and positioning it within the sealing tool by which it is applied to the strap. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved channel-shaped seal comprising outwardly diverging side wallsadapted to be readily passed over the overlapping strap ends preliminary to the bending ofthese walls over the strap ends as a part of the process of forming the interlocking joint. A further object of the invention is to provide a seal of the channel type comprising means for positioning it longitudinally in the sealing tool. Another object of the.

invention is to provide a channel-shaped seal of an improved form adapted to be passed over the overlapping strap ends and to be held by the sealing tool when it is thus applied to the strap.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter. l

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings, in which one form of the improved seal is shownin connection with a portion of one form of sealing tool adapted for use in connection therewith. In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the improved 50 seal of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows an nd elevation of the" improved seal shown in Fig. 1 applied to the overlapping strap ends which are shown in transverse section;

Fig. 3 shows a top plan view of the overlapping strap ends with the improved seal of the present invention applied thereto, with the side walls of the seal diverging downwardly;

Fig. 4 shows a top plan view of the completed sealed joint after the side walls of the seal have been" bent about the strap ends and afterthe 5 edges of the strap and seal have been transversely sheared to form an interlocking joint;

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of the strap ends and joint illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a bottom plan view of the construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5;

'Fig. 7 shows a transverse sectional ,view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 shows a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8'8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of a portion of one form of sealing tool adapted for use in applying the seal of the present invention to overlapping strap ends, portions thereof being shown in vertical section and the parts being in, the relative positions which they occupy when the seal is initially placed between the jaws of the tool; J I

Fig. 19 shows an enlarged elevation of the faces of the jaws illustrated in Fig. 9, showing the seal mounted in position between them; and

Fig. 11 shows an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10. I

As illustratedin the accompanying drawings, the invention comprises a channel-shaped metal seal 15 comprising a back wall or top wall 15 which is united along its parallel edges with the integral side walls or flanges l5 which diverge from the wall 15 at angles adapted to permit the seal to be passed readily over the overlappirg ends of a metal strap 16, as shown in Fig. 2. The seal 15 is formed of sheet metal which is prefer-- ably hard and stifi, although having some resilienc'e, and having suflicient ductility to permit the arms or walls 15 to retain a permanent set 40 or shape when they are bent about'the overlapping ends of the strap 16. The arms or side walls 15 of the seal are each provided, midway between the ends of theseal, with an outward projection 15, formed preferably by punching or 45 bending outwardly a portion of the metal of the seal at the outer edge or margin of the side wall. Each projection 15 is substantiallytriangularin form and preferably extends inwardly'a short' I distance from the bottom edge of the side wall,' as shown in Fig. 'l. The function of these lugs or projections 15 is to position the seal properly in a sealing tool in which it is employed so that thesealmay be definitelylocated with respect to the overlapping strap ends and properly posi- '55 i tioned for the formation of the sheared edges which are created by the operation of the sealing tool.

In the operation of applying this improved seal to the overlapping strap ends, it is preferably placed downwardly thereover with the side walls 15 depending from the top or back wall 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After the sealhas thus been placed in position over the overlapping strap ends, the side walls 15 are bent inwardly and upwardly so that they underlie and closely embrace the under side of the overlapping strap ends with portions thereof lying parallel to the top wall 15 After the side walls are thus bent about the strap ends, or coincident with this bending operation, the lateral edges of the strap and seal are sheared along transverse lines 17. At least two cuts 1'7 are preferably formed at each edge of the seal and they are spaced apart leaving an intervening tongue or projection 18 which is deflected downwardly at the time of effecting the shearing operation so that these tongues or lugs occupy the positions shown particularly in Fig. 5. This causes the edges of the strap and seal which form each tongue or projection 18 to cross the edges of the adjacent body portions of the sealand strap ends along the lines of the cuts 17, thus forming interlocking joints which prevent endwise movement of the two strap ends with respect to each other or with respect to the seal.

One method of using the seal is illustrated in Figs. 9, and 11, which discloses portions of the strap sealing device which is described and claimed in the copending application of William C. Childress Serial No. 629,798, filed August 22,

. 1932. This sealing device is a tool which is adapted to receive and hold the seal during the proces of applying the seal to the overlapping strap ends, bending the. walls of the seal about the strap, and shearing the edges of the seal and strap. It comprises a base plate 20, having upwardly extending posts or flanges 21 between which are mounted the side plates 22 of a movable head 23. These side plates 22 are pivotally mounted on a pin 24 which extends transversely between the flanges 21, and they are spaced apart to receive between them the movable jaws 25 between which the seal 15 is received, as shown in Fig. 9. The jaws 25 are pivotally mounted on pins 26 carried-by the plates 22 and they are provided with oppositely disposed curved surfaces 25*, concentric with the axes of the pins 26, which receive between themasupporting member or saddle 2'7 adapted toengage the back or,

top plate of the seal. This saddle is generally triangular in vertical cross-section, having curved surfaces 2'7? which coact with the curved surfaces 25 of the jaws. At its ends, this saddle has projecting pins 28 which pivotally engage the side plates 22 to hold the saddle in position. When the top plate 15 of the seal is seated on the saddle 2'7, the sidearms or'walls 15 of the seal diverge in a downward direction between the opposite portions of the jaws which are recessed as shown at 25 to receive them, thus forming projecting flanges or lugs 25 at the extremities of the jaws which are adapted to overlie the extreme edges pivotal axes of the jaws. 75

the seal in mounted cutting and shearing dies 28. The passages 25 are enlarged at their outer ends and are internally threaded to receive threaded plugs 29 and 30, two of which are mounted in these passages to keep the cutting die in adjusted position. The portions of the passages 25 in which the cutting dies are mounted are noncircular in cross-section so that the dies are held against rotation and the projecting portions of these dies are provided with cutting edges 28' which are adapted to engage and shear the edges of the strap and seal. The edges of the slots 25 in the jaws form cooperating cutting dies which function in conjunction with the cutting edges '28 to bring about the desired shearing action upon the strap and seal when the two jaws are moved inwardly toward each other. By varying the positions of the threaded plugs 29 and 30, the inward projection of the cutting dies 28 may be varied to regulate the extent of the shearing cuts inwardly from the edges of the seal and strap. One of the jaws 25 has a plunger 31 slidably mounted in a tubular bore 25 formed therein. The head of this pin is engaged by a coil spring 32 held in place by a threaded plug 33 and the extremity of the pin engages the inner face of the other jaw member so that the spring normally tends to separate the outwardly projecting arms of the jaws and to force together the lower parts thereof between which the seal 15 is mounted. This permits the seal to be snapped into position between the jaws with the back plate 15* thereof engaging the saddle 2'7 and is then held in that position while the head 23 is lowered to apply the seal about a strap. When the seal 15 is placed in position between the jaws, the projections 15 of the side walls of the seal are adapted to engage the extremities of the slots 25 thus properly positioning the seal between the jaws with reference to the cutting dies and other parts of the mechanism which are shown in the co-pending application referred to.

The upwardly extending arms 25 of the jaws diverge from each other and are slotted from their upper ends inwardly to receive links 34 which are pivotally connected thereto by pins 35.

lever 3'7 is rocked about its pivot, the inner end thereof spreads the links 34 and thus moves the arms 25 of the jaws outwardly away from each other to effect the bending and shearing of the 'seal positioned between the lower parts of the jaws. One of the links 34 is provided with an elongated slot 34 for engagement by the acha cent pivot pin 35, thus permitting some relative movement of the two jaws during the process of inserting the seal 15 between them. The inner portion of the lever 3'7 is provided with a projection 3'7 which is adapted to engage a roller 39 mounted between the side plates 22 and adapted to serve as a stop .to prevent further movement of the lever 3'7 towardthe left, as viewed in Fig. 9. The lower jaw' 25 is pivotally connected by links 40 and 41 with the pin 24 upon which the side plates 22 move. The link 40 is pivotally connected by a pin 42 to the lower jaw 25 and the lower end thereof engages a slot in the upper I 1,988,742 end of the link 41, being pivotally connected thereto by a pin 43. The lower comer of the link 40 is rounded as shown at 40 so that it may swing upwardly about the pin 43, while being prevented from swinging in the other direction by the engagement of its flat end 40 with the wall of the slot in the other link 41. These links thus form a toggle connection which normally holds the jaws 26 against relative movement and they occupy this position when the head 23 is in the position,- shown in Fig. 9, for receiving the seal between the lower portions of the jaws. Having inserted the seal 15 between the jaws, with the projections 15 thereof engaging the slots 25 as shown in Fig. 10, the operator then pushes downwardly on the handle 37, which, at first, merely brings about a downward swinging movement of the head 23 because the jaws 25 are held against relative movement by the links 40 and 41'. This swinging motion of the head 23 continues until the seal 15 has been moved into position over the overlappin strap ends 16 which are positioned on a surface 20 of the base plate. The position of the seal is then as shown by dotted lines at 43 with the side walls thereof extending into a slot 20 which is formed joint and thus permit the two jaws to have relative movement, which is brought about by swinging the arm 3'7 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 9, about the pin 38. This causes the lower parts of the jaws,-beneath the saddle 27, to swing inwardly toward each other, thus bending the side walls 15' of the seal inwardly beneath the two overlapping strap ends. As the motion continues, the cutting edges of the jaws of the dies 28 shear the edges of the strap and seal along the line 17, as shown in Fig. 11, thus brin ing about the formation of the joint as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. During the operation of inserting the seal in the tool and applying it to the strap, the flaring side walls of the seal are of advantage in permitting it to be inserted in the tool in a position wherein it may be readily placed over the overlapping strap ends without interference with the edges of the strap with the side walls of the seal. At the same time, the side walls are permitted to be snapped into position upon the projecting lugs or shoulders 25 of the tool without the projection of these lugs to points where they would interfere with the free movement of the seal over the strap as the head 23 is lowered: The projections 15 on the side walls of the seal serve side walls.

. 3 not only to position the seal longitudinally so as to cause the cutting dies to operate upon the middle portions thereof but they also serve to a position the end of the seal accurately with respect to mechanism which may be mounted alongside the head 23 to cut oil the strap from thesource of supply, as explained in said copending application, so that the strap is cut offadjacent to the seal in order to prevent the existence of a projecting strap end of considerable length beyond the end of the seal.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v

1.-A seal for metalstrappin comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and side walls which diverge continuously from said back plate to, their outer edges.

2. A seal for metal strappin comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and integral side walls having outer edges which are spaced farther apart than the inner edges thereof.

3.'A seal for metal'strapping comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and outwardly flaring side walls provided with projections on their outer sides.

4. A seal for metal strapping comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and side walls adapted to be bent over the strapping, said seal having means on its side zaaollls for positioning it laterally in a bending 5. A seal for metal strappin comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and outwardly flared side walls provided midway between their ends with outwardly extending projections.

6. A seal for metal strapping comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and side walls diverging continuously from,

channel-shaped metal member having a backplate and outwardly flaredside walls provided between their ends with outwardly extending tapered projections, said projections on opposite walls flaring in the same direction as said walls but at a greater angle.

8. A seal for metal strapping comprising a channel-shaped metal member having a back plate and outwardly flared side walls provided between their ends with outwardlyextending tapered projections, said projections terminating in transverse shoulders at the outer edges'of said cans-ma M. mccnnsmtr.

DISCLAIMER 1,988,742.Ohester M. MacOhesney, Chicago, 111. STRAP SEAL. Patent dated. January 22, 1935. Disclaimer filed February- 8, 1943, by the assignee, Acme Steel Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1 and 2 in said specification.

[Oflic'ial Gazette March 2, 1.943.] 

